Khajiit's Bow
by Lupabiker18
Summary: Set in Skyrim during, and several years after, the Civil war between the Nords and Imperials, but NOT about the Dragonborn. A female Khajiit is running from her past, and we get dropped right in the middle of it all. Hope y'all enjoy it. R&R please
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Skyrim, all rights to Skyrim go to Bioware; but Dar' Ashni is my OC, the rest of the caravan are supporting characters.

This is an older story that I tried to get people to read on 'Mibba' but no one really read it so lets see how you guys like it. Enjoy, R&R Please.

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Chapter 1: Shade and Sugar

It's cold, it's always cold in Skyrim. I have never understood how the Nords could stand the constant snow and the brutal winds. Not like my home of Elsweyr. I miss the sands and the warmth of the sun on my fur. When I signed up for this, I had thought that there would be more profit in it but now, I'm starting to have my doubts. Our caravan has been on the road for weeks now and with the whole civil war between the Nords and the Imperials, it was a wonder that we even had enough money to keep the thieves guild off our backs.

"Ashni, do you see anything?!" A fellow Khajiit called from behind me. He was braud, even for a Khajiit, and yet he still moved with grace. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, after all he was once a member of the Shade Claws, he even still wears his old armor. The top of his head and ears are black while the rest of his face goes from gray to white. I'd say that even without the pitch black plate armor you could tell that he was a Shade.

"Several deer and a rabbit. Unless you feel like hunting S' Rava." I called back feeling my tail flick back and forth at the idea of being able to hunt again. He looked a little surprised but the smile showed that he wasn't going to object.

"Dro' Jo!" He called back to the camp site. The sun had just reached the last hours of the day and we were going to need those hours to catch dinner. The elder of our caravan had a thick almost white mane, but his bright yellow eyes showed that he had many stories to tell, and that he was experienced in getting the better deal.

"What is it S' Rava, has Dar' Ashni found something?" The elder called back. I could almost feel the cold pain of steel when he called me Dar' Ashni, it seemed that the old cat still didn't trust me.

"Indeed, perhaps tonight's dinner, just know that we'll be gone for a few hours so be alert. That means you Ra' Ziri." A slight laugh could be heard in Rava's voice as he called out his brother. With that I turned, found the freshest of deer tracks and started the hunt with my bow in hand.

S' Rava also had his bow ready after about an hour into the hunt. The first of the moons was starting to rise and we still hadn't found any sign of our deer. But we did manage to nab a few rabbits and even a bit of mub crab. "Do you think it's time we head back S' Rava?" I asked just as my stomach growled.

"Must we, I enjoy your company Dar' Ashni?" He answered in a voice that wasn't his usual flirting tone.

"Please don't call me that, it's bad enough that Dro' Jo makes it a known insult with the others." My ears went down making my ear rings jingle slightly as I looked away from him.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to offend you. But you can not deny that you are the stealthiest of us." The earnesty in his voice sent warmnth to my face. "And thats one of the things I find most interesting about you."

"Just my skills,"

"Among other things." He cut me off resting one of his paws on my cheek before running his fingers threw my white mane. I wasn't sure what to think, but the look in his silver eyes was different than any way he had looked at me before. S' Rava was purring and I found myself returning the sound, till the grunts and moans of the deer we had been tracking broke the intensity that had been growing. My eyes looked away from his eyes and found our target. He spun as well and we both notched our arrows ready to fire, but I let loose mine first and watched as it sailed threw the air, Rava's not far behind it. Both arrows found it's mark and the air was soon filled with the dying cry of our prey. Letting out the rest of the breath I had been holding and then everything came back in a rush.

"Lets retrieve it and get back to the others, I prefer to be next to a fire when the werewolves start to come out." I said avoiding S' Rava's eyes as I sheathed my bow and marched toward the kill. I didn't know what to think but soon enough we would be back with the caravan cooking venison sweetened with moon sugar.

When we got back everyone was around the fire waiting for us with the limited spices that we could spare for our own food. "Here you are, a difficult trail to follow was it?" Ra' Ziri called walking up to us with his arms spread wide. "Or were you two busy hunting different prey?" That comment only got Ziri a stern glare from Rava.

"Don't look so surprised S' Rava, he is your brother after all." I said jokingly while casting a glance at the cat a certain sharpness in my eyes that I made sure he saw. "But that doesn't mean you can go about spreading rumors cub." That struck a nerve that seemed to make him undeceive. Ra' Ziri clearly wanted to hit me for my calling him a cub but he was hesitating, not sure if it was my reputation or the fact that his older brother was next to me.

"Who says it's a rumor, Rava certainly talks about you enough to suggest on his own."

"Ziri." S' Rava growled as his hand went to one of his daggers. That caught me off guard, and I didn't know what to think. So I kept quiet and walked past Ra' Ziri to give the others the deer to prepare for dinner.

There was no mention of what had happened the rest of the night, I continued at my post at the head of the caravan as a scout and S' Rava stayed close with the others. But I could feel his eyes on me just as much as Dor' Jo. But today we arrived at Whiterun and set up our trade spot outside the walls. Luckily, I had kept the deer hide and antlers from the day before as well as the rabbit skins. It was time to make a bit of my own money.

"I'll be back try to not 'cause too much trouble." I said to the elder taking my things and heading up the path to the main gate. The guards were hesitent to alow me entrance but when they saw that I ment to buy and sell what I had they stepped aside, although I knew that they would have every eye in the hold with an eye and arrow trailing me. I first headed over to the blacksmith, who allowed me to turn the deer hide into leather before I sold it to him for about tweenty-five gold and the four rabbit skins for five gold a piece. With my money I went to a food stand and bought fresh fruits, vegitables and even a bit of dried meat.

Returning to the caravan I found that they had also had a few buyers while I was gone. S' Rava and Ra' Ziri had left a little while ago to hunt, but they hadn't returned. I didn't think much of it, especially with the fact that prey was scarcer the closer you were to a hold. Handing Dro' Jo some of the dried meat I went to the fire the others had prepared. I lost myself in the flames, seeing faces and even places that I had long since forgotten. My mother and father, who had been killed by slavers when they refused to give me up. They told me to run, and I did, but not with out seeing a sword being driven threw my mother's chest. Shaking my head I looked away from the flames, stood and returned to my tent for the night, Rava and Ziri still hadn't returned. Laying on my bed roll I attempted to find sleep, but it seemed as if my day was not yet over, for Dro' Jo entered my tent and sat in front of the entrance.

"Forgive my intrusion Dar' Ashni, but I must say something."

"What is it?" This was so unlike the elder, I knew he hated me so there was no reason for him to confirm it.

"I owe you an apology." He said it so matter-of-factlly that I was almost unsure he ment it. Most likely he saw my confusion and continued so as to be clear. "You are not the person I believed you would be, and for that I am sorry. I thought that you would be like any other of the Skooma Underground, but I was wrong."

"I understand Dro' Jo, I would've been the same way. All the same, thank you for finally trusting me." I said slightly bowing my head in respect before meeting his eyes again.

"As for S' Rava, good luck, but keep a close eye on his brother I'm sure he will make trouble for you yet." And with that he left leaving me daft and confused. But with that I found sleep easier to find.

The night seemed to be going well, dreamless and quiet, till I woke up to the sound of a battle. Or was it a nightmare of the past?

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**Extra info**: 'Dar' in the Khajiit language means thief, so basically when Dro' Jo calls her Dar' Ashni, he is calling her for what she is and meaning it as a true insult and sign that he doesn't trust her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the things relating to Skyrim or it's original plot. However, Dar' Ashni is my OC.

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Chapter 2: Betrayal or Salvation

I wasn't entirly certain what to think, I just acted. Grabbed my bow and raced out of my tent to see the vary bastards I had been running from. The slavers that murdered my family. They had finally caught up with me. Why couldn't they just leave me alone?

Ji' Shasa was already taking on three of the bastards with her dule blades. And it was clear that the men were hesitating to step within her kill circle, but it didn't last long as a warrior came up behind her and raised his sword over his head ready to strike. He didn't get to finish his swing as my arrow planted itself firmly in his brain. The force was enough to make his head go back along with the rest of his body. That caught the attention of the rest of the slavers around Ji' Shasa and she took advantage of the distraction. Running up to her I saw that almost everyone was already dead, except for Dro' Jo, who was being dragged to what looked like a caged wagon.

"Dro Jo!" I cried notching an arrow and only having to draw it back half way before letting it loose. It hit squarily in the captor's neck. It hadn't killed him but the shock made him release the elder who didn't wait to run. Once Dro Jo was with us I pulled my arrow back fully then let it fly into the wounded man's eye. That killed him.

"Are you alright?" Ji' Shasa asked the elder just before more slavers appeared, their leader amoung them.

"Well, well, well, it seems the cats were right. You've been in plain sight all this time. Hiding amongst your own, clever girl, your new owners will make good use of that." His name was Leo, or at least that's what his men called him. More or less it was because he was considered the "King" of slavers. It also might have something to do with his thick blonde hair and beard. When he saw something he wanted Leo took it, and when someone was foolish enough to appose him they ended up dead. But for all his might and talk, I actually had the pleasure of seeing how pathetic a fighter he really was without his men to back him up.

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_5 years ago_

I had gotten tired of running some time ago. So one night I set an ambush for my hunters. Which they took like a bee to honey. But when I saw their leader wasn't with them I tracked their trail back to their camp, where I found Leo in a drunken state. When I saw this, I was confused. This was the man who had been hunting me, the all feared 'King of slavers'. It didn't make any sense. So I showed myself to him. And when he saw me, I was only more confused. He screamed. I wasn't sure if it was the ale or what but this fully grown man screamed like a newborn babe for his mother.

'Dont kill me,' he screamed. I was so angered by his outburst that my vision started to turn red. He had butchered my family infront of my face, hunted me for over five years, and he was begging me to not kill him. Pathetic.

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_Preasent day_

"I've escaped you before Leo, I will again." I growled drawing back another arrow and being sure to aim for his knee instead of his head or chest, he would be expecting that. He always knew what to expect with me, after all, he had spent over a decade chasing me.

"I have no doubt about that," He said a little too calmly. "But will you leave your friends to die?" He continued. He paused, letting it sink in exactly what he had said. I didn't know what he was going to do, but I refused to lower my bow, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of getting under my skin. Or so I thought. Leo waved his hand and S' Rava and Ra' Ziri were brought forth. They were bound, gagged and beaten, but S' Rava's eyes met mine, the look he gave me sent a spike of ice threw my heart. Tightening my grip on my bow, rage held me for a moment, but I lowered my aim and looked to the ground. "Good girl. Now drop the bow and come quietly, and your friends will be released."

"No," It was Dro' Jo who spoke up.

"Quiet, old Cat, or I'll make you my court rug!" Leo cut in brandishing his skinning knife. "I'm here for the kitten, she has eluded me long enough. Now Ashni, come here." I didn't know what to do, if I went with Leo, S' Rava and Ra' Ziri would be free, maybe. But then my parents would've died for nothing. Why did everything have to go to Oblivion, every single time? "I said, COME HERE!" He shouted, bringing other out of my thoughts and making a low growl escape my throat.

"Ashni, don't fall for it, they'll kill us either way." The elder pleaded. I noticed then just what he had called me. Dro' Jo had never called me just, 'Ashni', it felt good, but I knew what I had to do. There was only one way this was going to end the way it should.

"Thank you Dro' Jo, but if I know Leo, he's a man who keeps his word." With that, I raised my bow, drew my arrow and, with tears burning my eyes, fired at Leo's hostages. One arrow landed just above Ra' Ziri's heart, the next was implanted just below S' Rava's left lung. It took everything in my being not to look S' Rava in the eye. If I did, my facade would break. "But he doesn't discriminate against leverage," I spat angrily to fight against the tears that threatened to give me away. "If I come with you Leo, you leave Dro' Jo and Ji' Shasa alone, and you give back their goods." I was looking him right in the eyes as his men stepped away from the two 'corpses'. "Those are my terms. Either that, or you all die." We glared at each other, both of us unmoving.

He knew that when I made a threat, it wasn't and idle one, and he wanted me alive. Otherwise he would've killed me long ago. That was my leverage against him if nothing else. But him and his men still out numbered us four to one. Hopefully, Leo was still the idiot I remembered.


End file.
